Crispy beef on lettuce

Ingredients

Kecap manis is a sweet Indonesian
soy sauce. Makethe sauce and beef in
advance and then stir them together just before serving.

3-4 baby gem lettuces

150ml sunflower or rapeseed
oil

3 spring onions, trimmed and finely
sliced

1 small red chilli (medium heat), deseeded and
finely chopped

2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely
chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1tbsp dry sherry

3tbsp kecap manis or sweet soy
sauce

2tbsp soy sauce

4tbsp cornflour

2tsp Chinese five-spice
powder

300g beef fillet

Method

Take 20 small leaves from the hearts of the
lettuces - if they are too big, they will be difficult toeat. Place on a tray and chill until ready to
assemble.

Heat 1tbsp of oil in a wok (or large frying pan) and fry the
spring onions, chilli, ginger and garlic for 1 minute, stirring.
Pour in the sherry, kecap manis and soy sauce, and bubble for a
further minute. Transfer to a bowl and set aside, then clean and
dry the wok.

Mix the cornflour with the five-spice powder. Cut the beef into
matchstick-size pieces, add to the bowl and coat well with the
flour mixture.

Pour the remaining oil into the wok and heat
untila piece of beef dropped in sizzles
immediately. Frythe beef in small batches
for 1 minute, lift out with aslotted spoon
and drain on kitchen paper. You can prepare up to this stage about
2 hours in advance.

Before serving, mix the beef with the sauce and heap little
piles of the beef into the lettuce leaves.